Carpet tufting machine



April 8, 1952 R. c. KLINE CARPET TUFTING MACHINE Fil ed July 1. 1950INVENTOR. YICHA R D C.K| NE. M

A T TOE/V5115:

u k..HHHMHHHHHHiWHflE 2 NM 3 v vN m Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CARPET TUFTING MACHINE Richard C. Kline, Mount Kisco, N.Y.

Application July 1, 1950, Serial No. 171,709

2 Claims. (Cruz-"'19) The needle assembly of the invention is especiallyapplicable for use in the power driven carpet tufting machine of thecopending joint application of myself and Joseph Miller, Serial No.128,314, filed November 19, 1949, and the copending application ofmyself, Serial No. 148,946, filed March 10, 1950, the first of whichdescribes a machine for producing tufted carpet having an uncut pile,and the second of which describes a modification thereof for producing atufted carpet, the pile of which is cut as each tuft is formed.

In each machine of said copending application, there is provided alongitudinally displaceable needle thrust bar, on one end of which theneedle assembly is mounted for tufting a base fabric stretchedperpendicular to the direction of needle travel, the opposite end of theneedle thrust bar being linked to a power driven eccentric forreciprocating the same. The machine of the first application is alsoprovided with a stepper thrust bar spaced from and displaceable parallelto the needle thrust bar, on one end of which adjacent the needle, astepper assembly is mounted, the end being provided with a cam rollengaging a cam of roughly D-shaped contour mounted on the eccentricdrive shaft for reciprocating the stepper in intermittent timed relationto the needle for eifecting the tufting operation as described therein.The stepper takes the form of strips of spring steel having V notches intheir ends for catching the yarn and forming the tufts as the needlesare withdrawn from the base fabric.

In the machine of the second application which is generally similar tothe first, each stepper comprises two' oppositely bevelled blades ofspring steel which are mounted in superimposed and slidable engagement,providing in one relative position to each other a V notch therebetweenfor forming the tuft as aforesaid, but being thereafter relativelydisplaceable to cut the tuft when formed thereby to produce a pile cutcarpet. These blades are respectively mounted on the ends of a pair ofstepper thrust bars which are independently and longitudinallydisplaceable to effect the tufting and pile cutting operation aforesaidby means of a pair of cams mounted on the 2 eccentric shaft whichreciprocates the needle thrust bar.

The needles described in the aforesaid copend-' ing applicationscomprise sheet metal stampings of tempered steel or equivalent, whichare outwardly flared from their points toward the bases thereof, andslightly back of the points the flared metal is bent at right angles toprovide reinforcement and stiffness of the needles. Somewhat back of thepoint, each needle is provided with an elongated needle hole for passageof the yarn therethrough. In order to impose an appropriate tensioningon the yarn during operation of the machine, resilient prongs extendalong the underside of the needles, these prongs being longitudinallyadjustable with respect to the needles for adjusting the efiective sizeof the needle holes and hence for adjusting the friction on the yarnpassing through the holes. During the tufting process, the portion ofthe aforesaid needles comprising the needle holes and the ends of thetensioning prongs must pass through the foundation fabric. Since theattitude of the yarn with respect to the tensioning prongs changes asthe yarn passes through the fabric, the tension on the yarn may vary. Inaddition, the yarn on the upper side of the needles is forced throughthe fabric between the upper surface of the needles and the strands ofthe foundation fabric increasing the yarn tension, abrading the yarn andtending to distort the fabric. The increase of tension also tends tocause previously formed loops to pull out of the fabric. Q I When aheavy foundation fabric is used, a relatively stiff needle is required.The needles de-' scribed in the above-mentioned application are weakenedat a portion near thepoints thereof because of the location of theneedle holes adjacent thereto. a The needle of the present invention isan improvement overthe needles described in the above-mentionedcopending application. 'It has been found that whenthe needle of thepresent invention is used with the tufting machine of said co-pendingapplication, both improved operation and an improved product areobtained; The needle of the present invention comprises asheet metalstamping of tempered steel or equivalent, which is outwardly flared fromits point toward its base. Slightly back of the point, the flared metalis bent at right angles to provide reinforcement and stiffness of theneedle." The needle is adapted tobe fastened to a needle thrust ba and ar l n yar i n ipn s aened to the thrust bar, extends along the underside of the needle. A needle hole is provided in the portion of theneedle which is mounted against the thrust bar rather than in theportion of the needle extending in front of the thrust bar, and a yarnpassageway aligned with the needle hole is provided in the thrust baritself. An end of the tensioning prong is mounted adjacent the needlehole and the prong is longitudinally adjustable with respect to theneedle so that the size of the needle hole and hence the yarn'tensionmay be controlled.

- In addition a guide prong is provided adjacent one side of the needleto carry the'yarn through the foundation fabric in cooperation with theneedle. This guide prong extends in front of the needle thrust bar andan end of the guide prong is adjacent the needle at a point in front ofthe needle hole. Thus, the yarn is betterprotected from abrasion withthe strands of the fabric, and is drawn between relatively frictionfreesurfaces and is held in a fixed attitude with respect to the tensioningprong. In addition, the guide prong provides a smooth sliding surfacefora stepper prong.

The invention may be more clearly understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description read in connection with theaccompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view as viewed from below of theneedle assembly of theinvention'as mountedon the end of a needle thrust bar, while Fig. -2 isa longitudinal section as taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showingthe needle and needle thrust bar assembly, and also the cooperatingstepper and stepper thrust barassembly'of a tufting machine inaccordance with the co-pending application, Serial No. 128,314aforesaid.

Referring to the drawings, four needles I0, ll, l2 and [3 are mounted inlateral contiguous-alignment on the under side of needle thrust bar l4,being secured to the thrust bar by screwsas at [5. The screws passthrough appropriately drilled apertures in the base portions of theneedles and are threaded into the thrust bar [4. In addition, theneedles are attached to the thrust bar in front of their needle holes byrivetsas at 16. For additionally maintaining the needles I0, ll, I2 andi3 in rigid assembly and contiguous alignment, they may be solderedtogether along the contiguous longitudinal edges of the base portions asat IT. The needles comprise sheet metal stampings of tempered steel orequivalent which are outwardly flared from their points l8 toward theirbases and slightly back of the points, the flared metal is bent at rightangles in the manner indicated at [9 to provide reinforcement andstiffness. Back of the points and'behind the point of attachment of theneedles to the thrust bar i4, each needle is provided with an elongatedhole '20 for'passage of the yarn 2| therethrough. A corresponding seriesof holes aligned with the holes in the needles'is provided in the thrustbar l4 as'indicated at 22.

'In order to impose a proper 'tensionin'g o'n the yarn during operationof the mechanism, resilient prongs 23 extend along the groovesbetweenthe side walls of the needles on the 'under side of the "needles,these prongs being longitudinally adjustable in relation to the holes inthe needles bymeans of the screws [5, which pass through elongated holesin the prongs 23. By virtue of this construction and assembly, theeifectiveapertures of the needle holes 20 may beadjustedin accordancewith'the diameter of the yarn employed by adjusting the prongs 23 ingreater or lesser overlapping relation with respect to the needle holes20.

It will be noted that for the reasons given above the needle holes 20are not in the free ends of the needles extending beyond the end of thethrust bar 14, but instead have been placed in the needles H], II, l2and 13 so that they are in aportion thereof that does not pass throughthe foundation fabric 35 during the'tufting process. However, the yarn2| should be held near the points of the needles during the process sothat yarn loops 38 will be formed. For these reasons, I have providedguide prongs 24, 25, 26 and 21 adjacent the points of the needles. The

guide prongs are in the form of strips of resilient :material, such asspring steel, and they have concave notches as at 39 in their forwardends for-engaging the yarn 21. The guide prongs are held in sockets 42on stamping 28, as by frictional engagement with the sockets or bysoldering, welding, etc. and the stamping 28 is at.- tached to thethrust bar M by means of screws as at 29. Thus, the prongs 24, 25, 26and 21 are movable and aligned with the needles l0, ll, I2 and I3.Since, in the preferred embodiment, the guide prongs are resilient,the'yarn 21 may pass between the needles and the guide, even though theguide prongs in the absence of the yarn may touch the needles, but theprongs may also be relatively stiff and be spaced from the needles by adistance-substantially equal to the diameterof the yarn2l.

A reciprocatory stepper thrust bar-30 is mounted below the needle thrustbar I4 and carries adjacent the end thereof a group of steppen prongs 3|corresponding in number to the number of needles and mounted inalignment with the needles. The stepper prongs 3| are secured to thestepper thrust bar 30 by means of screws,

as at 32, passing through appropriate apertures in the stepper prongsand threaded into the thrust bar 30. The stepper'prongs 3| are made of aresilient material, such as spring steel, or equivalent,- and the prongsare bent upwardly toward theneedles, asshown in Fig. 2. The stepperprongs have formed in their outer ends concave notches'which are adaptedto receive and grip the yarn 2| during the tufting operation.

The thrust'bars I4 and 30 are supported by a frame 34 and are slidablydisplaceable longitudinally in grooves provided in the frame. The frame34 also carries at the forward end thereof a wire guard 33 in the'sh'apeof an inverted U for regulating the degree of penetration of the needlesand step'pers through the foundation fabric-35 and hence for determiningthe height of tufting. The-guard-33 is held'in a pair .of holes in theend of theiframe'34 as at by means of screws as at Al.

A guide 36 having apertures 31 corresponding in number to the number ofstrands of'yarn being fed' to the-needlesis provided on top of needlethrust bar IA. The guide 35 may be fastened to the thrust bar 14 "-bymeans of screws orimay be fastened thereto in any other well knownmanner, such'as byweldingsoldering, etc. As described-in detail in theabove-mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 128,314, the end of"the tufting machine is held during operation with the guard 33 againstthe foundation fabric 35. The needle thrustbar l4 is regularlyreciprocated so that the needleassembly penetrates the fabric 35:betweenthe strands thereof. At the peakof th'e forward motion of thethrust bar I4, the needles and their cooperating guide prongs extendthrough the fabric 35 a distance sufiicient to form the yarn loops 38.At this time, the ends of the guide prongs are inside the tops of theyarn loops 33. Before the needle assembly is withdrawn from thefoundation fabric, the stepper thrust bar 33 which is intermittentlyreciprocated in appropriately timed relation to the needle thrust -barforces the stepper prongs through the foundation fabric 35 between thestrands which have previously been separated by the needle assembly. Thestepper prongs penetrate the fabric a distance sufiicient to hold theloops, as indicated in Fig. 2, thus replacing the guide prongs assupports for the yarn 2! at the inside of the top of a loop. The needleassembly is then withdrawn and passed along to the next position withrespect to the foundation fabric. After the needle assembly reaches itsfully withdrawn position and commences the next penetration of thefabric, the stepper prongs are withdrawn from the fabric. The tuftingprocess then proceeds repetitiously in the manner just described.

It will be observed that as the needle assembly passes through thefabric 35, the upper surface of the yarn 2! is protected from abrasionwith the strands of the fabric by the needles. During the pulling of theyarn through the needle holes for the forming of the loops 38, the yarnslides between relatively friction free surfaces of the needles and theguide prongs, and during the entire travel of the needle assembly, theyarn is held in a fixed attitude with respect to the tensioning prongs23 subjecting the yarn to an even tension. Furthermore, the guide prongsprovide a smooth sliding surface for the stepper prongs when the stepperprongs are in contact therewith.

While the principles of the invention have been dscribed in connectionwith a specific form of apparatus, it is to be understood that thedescription has been given by way of example only and othermodifications thereof, which will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention which is defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A needle assembly for yarn tufting machines comprising a thrust barhaving an aperture therein, a needle having a hole therein and mountedon said thrust bar with one side adjacent said bar and with a free endextending beyond the end of said bar, said hole being aligned with saidaperture and both being adapted to permit the passage of said yarntherethrough, a guide prong having a concave notched end, means mountingsaid guide prong on said thrust bar on the opposite side of said needleand with said notched end adjacent the free end of said needle, atensioning prong, and means adjustably mounting said tensioning'prong onsaid thrust bar between said needle and said guide prong and with an endthereof adjacent the hole in said needle, said adjustable mounting meanspermitting adjustment of the said tensioning prong with respect to saidhole.

2. A needle assembly for yarn tufting machines comprising a thrust barhaving a plurality of apertures therein, a plurality of needles eachhaving a hole therein, means mounting said needles on said thrust barwith the holes in said needles in alignment with the apertures in saidthrust bar and with one end of each of said needles extending beyond theend of said bar, said holes and said apertures being adapted to permitthe passage of said yarn therethrough, a plurality of resilient guideprongs and means mounting said guide prongs on said thrust bar on theside of said needles opposite from said thrust bar and with the ends ofsaid guide prongs adjacent the ends of said needles extending beyondsaid bar.

RICHARD C. KLINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 604,759 Johnson May 31, 18982,004,687 Boyce June 11, 1935 2,365,013 Sharkey et a1 Dec. 12, 19442,533,420 Blumfield Dec. 12, 1950

